Refrigerating-package.



A. W.,FOL$0M. REFRIGBRATING PACKAGE. APPLICATION FILED vr213. 1a, 1909.

942, 8 l 8, Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

ANDREW W. FOLSOM, OF SHERMAN, TEXAS.

REFRIGERATING-PAGKAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

Application filed February 15, 1909. Serial No. 477,990.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW W. FoLsoM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sherman, in the county of Grayson and State of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful Refrigerating-Package, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to refrigerating packages.

One object of the invention is to provide an article of this characteradapted more particularly for shipping shucked oysters long distances,in the use of which contamination of the product by contact with the iceor ice water is prevented, thereby insuring the preservation of thearticle in the best possible condition for use.

A further object is to utilize not only all the refrigerating propertiesof the ice, but also that of the ice water, whereby a pronounced savingis secured and a more even application of the refrigerant to thereceptacle containing the product than would result from employingmerely broken or crushed ice.

A further object is to facilitate the reicing of the package, and torender unnecessary the removal of the ice to permit the retailer toexhibit the oysters or dispense them from the original package.

A further object is in an automatic manner to maintain the ice water ata predetermined level in the package while in transit, and at the sametime preclude entrance of air, thereby to prevent passage of the waterto the product, and also to secure an additional conservation of therefrigerant.

A further object is to hold the inner receptacle firmly in place aainstshifting and the lid or cover thereof positively sealed under anyconditions of handling to which the package may be subjected.

A further object is to check any tendency of the inner receptacle tofloat and capsize when a portion of its contents is removed, and thusobviate danger of loss to the merchant, or of contaminating the'produotby immersion in unclean water.

A further object is to insure full measure or count to the purchaser, toprevent loss from pilfering while the package is in the hands oftransportation companies, and to guarantee to the purchaser a productthat is clean, wholesome and thoroughly sanitary.

A further object is to provide a package capable of securing all of theabove objects, and that shall be simple of construction, eiiicient anddurable in use, and cheap and easy to manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the natureof the invention is better understood, the same consists, generallystated, in a shipping or refrigerating package comprising an outerinverted, truncated, cone-shaped ice-holding receptacle provided with acover, and an inner truncated cone-shaped food holding receptacleprovided with a cover engaged by the receptacle cover to hold the formerfirmly closed.

The invention consists further in a shipping or refrigerating packagecomprising an outer inverted truncated cone-shaped iceholding receptacleprovided with a cover, and an inner truncated cone-shaped food holdingreceptacle provided with a coneshaped cover to be engaged by thereceptacle cover to hold the former firmly closed.

The invention consists further in a shipping or refrigerating packagecomprising an outer inverted truncated cone-shaped iceholding receptacleprovided with a cover, and an inner truncated cone-shaped food holdingreceptacle provided with a coneshaped cover to be engaged by thereceptacle cover to hold the former firmly closed, thereby anchoring theinner receptacle against movement when a part of its contents isremoved, whereby to prevent capsizing and thus spoilage of the product.

The invention consists further in the various novel details ofconstruction of a refrigerating package, as will be hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts:Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a refrigerating package constructedin accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a verticaltransverse sectional view through the same. Fig. 3 is a fragmentarydetail view of a slightly modified form of ice-hold ing receptacle.

The article shown in Figs. 1 and 2, consists of an inverted truncatedcone-shaped ice-holding receptacle 1, provided with an imperforatebottom 2, and with an imperforate cover 3 secured to the receptacle inany suitable manner, as by a hinge 4:. The

cover is provided with a hasp 5 that engages with a staple 6 carried bythe receptacle 1 in order to hold the cover temporarily closed, and toprevent accidental separation of the hasp and staple, the latter isengaged by a snap hook 7 carried by a length of strap 8 secured to thereceptacle. Arranged within the ice-holding receptacle is the foodholding receptacle 9 which, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, is truncatedcone-shaped, and is provided with an imperforate bottom 10, and aconeshaped imperforate cover 11, the edge of the cover being extended toprovide a marginal flange 12 to bear upon the beaded edge 13 of thereceptacle. The cover is also provided with a sleeve 14 designed to fittightly within the mouth of the receptacle, and thereby secure the sameagainst ingress of water or the like. As above pointed out, the cover 11is held firmly closed, when the package is in transit, by means of thecover 3, and this is secured by making the cover 11 of such height thatits apex will contact with the under side of the cover 3, as shown inFig. 2. As the top 11 is cone-shaped, the pressure applied thereto bythe cover 3 will be trans mitted equally in all directions to the sleeve1 1, and will act to force said sleeve and the flange 12 downward, so asto form a tight joint with the body of the receptacle throughout theupper edge of the same and efiectually prevent loosening of the top oraccess of the ice, water, or impurities to the oysters. Furthermore,this cone-shaped formation of the top provides space for packing of therefrigerant over the receptacle. In order to secure circulation aroundthe bottom of the receptacle 9, the bottom of the receptacle 1 hassecured to it any desired number of spaced battens 15, three being shownin this instance.

As stated, one of the objects of the invention is to prevent the innerreceptacle from floating when a portion of the contents thereof has beenremoved, thus obviating any tendency to capsizing which might depositits contents within the water contained in the receptacle 1. To securethis result, two hooks 16 are provided, which are suitably secured tothe inner side of the receptacle 1. The bills of the hooks are designedto engage resilient bails or hand-holds 17 pivotally connected with thereceptacle 9 adjacent to its upper edge, and in order that theconnection between the hooks and bails be of stable character, the hooksare made somewhat shorter than the distance between their bills and thebails, so that the latter members to firmly bind the receptable 9 uponthe bottom 2 of the receptacle 1, and thus hold it against movement. Inorder to retain the liquid or ice water in the receptacle 1 at apredetermined height, there is provided a discharge opening 18, which islocated at such a point as to permit the effective cooling of thecontents of the receptacle 9, without any danger of the same becomingcontaminated by the ice water.

It may be desirable to seal the receptacle 1 positively against theentrance of air and in order to secure this result, the arrangementshown in Fig. 3 is employed. wherein the cover 3 has attached to it agasket 1%,), of felt, rubber, or any other material suited to thepurpose, and which is designed to bear upon the upper edge of thereceptacle 1. Instead of securing the gasket to the cover, the same maybe attached to the upper edge of the receptacle, or in lieu thereof, asheet of any suitable material may be employed for the purpose. Theexclusion of air is secured by means of an ordinary gooseneck seal 20threaded or otherwise secured in the opening 8, which, as will beobvious, will permit the escape of water, but prevent entrance of air.The latter described form of receptacle will be found of peculiar advantage where oysters are to be shipped for long distances, as therefrigerant can be made to last a much longer time than would. otherwisebe possible.

In the use of this receptacle, after the oysters have been placed, intheir natural liquor, in the inner receptacle, the hasp 21 of the cover11 is brought into engagement with a staple 22 carried by thereceptacle, and a seal 28 is then secured to the staple. hen the bucketreaches its destination, the dealer should place it in a convenientposition to display and sell, previous to which, however, it isadvisable to lift the cover of the outer receptacle and re-ice, in orderto retain the product in the best possible condition.

Owing to the fact that two reversely truncated cone-shaped vessels areemployed, the ice space between them is large at the top, and runs to apoint at the bottom, which makes the work of re-icing comparativelyeasy, and saves ice on account of the largest pieces being at the topwhere most exposed to air. As the ice melts, the ice water, which isjust as valuable for refrigerating purposes under these conditions,rises around the inner receptacle, near the top, but the surplus passesout through the orifice 18, or through the seal 20 so that there willnever be any danger of the water passing into the product in the innerreceptacle.

Oysters shipped in these receptacles are always clean, and pure, becausethey are kept ice cold in nothing but their own natural liquor, beingentirely free from preservatives, sloppy ice water or other impuritiesthat have been heretofore common in the old form of oyster-shippingbuckets. By reason of the fact that there is no naked ice placed in thereceptacle containing the oysters, the purchaser will be assured a fullcount, as if the inner receptacle be made to hold say three gallons whenfull, and if upon inspection the container is not full, the purchaserwill have positive evidence that he has been cheated.

The improvements herein described while simple in character, will befound thoroughly efficient for the purpose designed, and will result inthe presentation of a highly durable, eflicient, and sanitary form ofoyster shipping package.

I am aware that refrigerating shipping packages are not broadly new andI make no claim broadly to such a device. In my device, the shape of theinner and outer receptacles is such as to provide a downwardly-taperedspace around the food-holding receptacle in which ice may be packed. Theonly curvature in the sides of the receptacle is the annular orhorizontal curvature, and, consequently, as the ice melts it will moveunobstructedly to the bottom so that the larger lumps which may havelodged in the outer upper corners of the outer receptacle may movecloser to the lid of the inner receptacle, the result being thatre-icing is necessary only at long intervals. It will, furthermore, beobserved that in my device, the food receptacle is entirely surroundedby the refrigerant inasmuch as a space is provided below said receptaclefor the circulation of ice Water and the conical formation of the coverof said receptacle permits the ice to be packed thereover While, at thesame time, the said cover may be held firmly in position by the directpressure of the outer cover. Were the cover of the inner receptacle flatand ice packed upon the same, the presence of the ice would prevent theapplication of holding pressure by the outer cover except through theice and, consequently, as the ice melted the pressure would be removedand the inner cover would be freed of restraint so that it might becomedisengaged from the receptacle. Furthermore, with a flat inner coveraccuracy of construction will be needed in order to provide perfectengagement of the two covers inasmuch as the inner receptacle will betilted unless there is contact between the two covers throughout thesurface of the inner cover, whereas in my device it is only necessarythat the apex of the inner cover be engaged by the outer cover, thepressure upon the inner cover is the same whether the ice is or is notpresent and tilting of the inner receptacle cannot occur. My device isvery simple in its construction throughout and is free of complicatedfastenings so that when a shipment is received by the consignee he mayraise the covers and sell directly from the original package.

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerating package comprising an inner truncated cone-shapedreceptacle provided with resilient bails, an outer reversely truncatedreceptacle provided with hooks to engage the balls, means for holdingthe inner receptacle spaced from the bottom of the outer receptacle, andimperforate covers carried by the two receptacles, and being designed toengage with each other, whereby to retain the cover of the innerreceptacle firmly seated.

2. A refrigerating package comprising an inner receptacle provided withresilient bails, an outer receptacle provided with hooks to engage thebails, means for holding the inner receptacle spaced from the bottom ofthe outer receptacle, andimperforate covers carried by the tworeceptacles, and being designed to engage with each other, whereby toretain the cover of the inner receptacle firmly seated.

Intestimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

- ANDREW W. FOLSOM.

Witnesses:

RAY M. HUTT, RUFUS G. HALL.

